Valve tap

[Harpman2]

I had a valve tap about a year ago. Wouldn't go away when I drove it a few miles so I parked it for a week. Then I tried it a week later and the tap was gone. Stayed gone for a year , or maybe 2000 miles. Now today, after the car sat for this past week, because of rain etc, I started it up, and it didn't run well at all for a few minutes, maybe because it sat for a week, or maybe I didn't engage the starter long enough, not sure, and the tap is back !!! I suppose I'll just take it in for service this time. What does it cost to have the valves adjusted? Oh, and I always get white(I think) smoke on start up if I let it sit for more than a few days, but if it keeps passing emissions I won't bother fixing that. Thanks for any advice.

[Razorback1980]

The valves are hyrdaulic, I don't think there is any adjustment. Typically when the lifters start tapping, they are dirty and need cleaned. Try putting some Sea Foam in your oil or some other type cleaner that you prefer and see if the tick goes away. If not, then you have to pull the cam tower and replace the bad lifter.

As for puff of white smoke, if it's truly white (coolant) then change your oil and look for water in it and/or look for oil in your coolant overflow tank. If it's blue smoke (oil) then do as you suggested, leave it alone...probably just a little oil running down the valve guides.

[ERAU944]

i'll second the coolant. if it's really white, sounds like maybe you have a head gasket issue - esp. if its actually running rough.

for what it's worth, my '84 will run rough for a few seconds until fuel pressure builds up. i have a bad valve somewhere that is letting fuel drain back into the tank, releasing the pressure that is supposed to remain.

the valve tapping is kind of weird, perhaps you have a bad lifter or something. we had an '85.5 that had a bad lifter, no more taps when we changed it out. the valves like Tom said are hydraulically adjusted, there's nothing you can do there.

good luck!

[Techno Duck]

Valve job alone will run you about $100-200 depending what machine shop you goto.

The big thing is the amount of work it takes to get the cylinder head off. Timing belt, balance belt, cam tower, intake manifold and fuel rail all need to come off (among a few other smaller things).

A 'clack clack clack' sound at startup is probably a bad lifter. Remove the cam tower and check which lifters can be depressed easily, those are probably not holding oil.

[ERAU944]

if you are going to get a valve job, then you'll be replacing the head gasket - which in my opinion is likely causing the white smoke (if it IS actually white)

if you can smell the smoke, what does it smell like, if it's a sweet smell then it is coolant, and you will need to change your head gasket (hopefully you don't have a crack in the head or block).

when you have everything apart you can check the lifters. of course, this would also be the time for belts, rollers, water pump, partridge in a pear tree.

have fun!

[JivenJim]

Tap Tap, and would think bad lifter as mentioned by ERA.
I rememeber Clark writing a test where your soak in oil and C-clamp them to see if they collapse over some time. Search there and replace em. 23 years! on orginals would replace all of them...

[Slam]

Maybe just change the oil...

[Harpman2]

Thanks for the info !!!!

I'll write later when it's resolved.

[Razorback1980]

I agree with Simon...try the simple things first...clean oil with cleaner mixed with it. My personal favorite is Sea Foam or Marvel Mystery Oil...but there are number to choose from.

Make sure the smoke is not oil smoke first also. If you suspect that you are burning coolant at startup, then pull the spark plugs after it's set overnight and after a long drive the night before. Spin the motor over holding your hand or paper or something over the spark plug holes to collect water. If there is water on the paper...you have work to do. A blown head gasket will also SOMETIMES elevate the running temp of the engine so check for that sign as well. I'm betting it's oil smoke though.